20170320min.doc

IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

MINUTES OF DECISION MEETING

March 20, 2017 – 1:30 P.M.

In attendance were Commissioners Paul Kjellander, Kristine Raper and Eric Anderson. Commissioner Kjellander called the meeting to order.

The first order of business was APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETING on Monday, March 6, 2017. The Commission voted unanimously to approve the minutes as written.

The second order of business was approval of the CONSENT AGENDA:
2. Camille Christen's March 15, 2017 Decision Memorandum re: The Petition of Idaho Power Company for a Declaratory Order Regarding Proper Contract Terms, Conditions, and Avoided Cost Pricing for Battery Storage Facilities, Case No. IPC-E-17-01.3. Grace Seaman's March 15, 2017 Decision Memorandum re: Columbine Telephone Company, Inc’s Application for the Broadband Equipment Tax Credit for Years 2012-2015; Case No. COL-T-16-01.4. Grace Seaman's March 15, 2017 Decision Memorandum re: Gold Star Communications, LLC's Application for the Broadband Equipment Tax Credit for Years 2013 and 2014; Case No. GOL-T-16-01.5. Grace Seaman's March 15, 2017 Decision Memorandum re: Millennium Networks, LLC's Application for the Broadband Equipment Tax Credit for Years 2013-2015; Case No. MNL-T-16-01.6. Mike Louis's March 16, 2017 Decision Memorandum re: Tariff Advice No. 17-01 - Revisions to Idaho Power's Schedule 73, Cogeneration and Small Power Production Schedule - Idaho.
Commissioner Raper pointed out in Ms. Christen’s memo, IDAPA Rule 102 provides that a notice of petition for a declaratory ruling needs to be issued to all effected utilities; however that was not including in the recommendations. The notice of petition and notice of modified procedure should be issued to each affected utility. Ms. Christen said it was an oversight.
Commission Raper made a motion that we accept staff’s recommendation to issue a notice of petition and notice of modified procedure to all effected utilities and then adhere to the comment schedule as reflected in the memo.
Commissioner Kjellander asked if there was any further discussion, he made a motion that Staff’s recommendations for items 3 and 6 on the Consent Agenda be approved and item 2 as amended. A vote was taken on the motion and it carried unanimously.
The next order of business was MATTERS IN PROGRESS:
7. Grace Seaman's March 16, 2017 Decision Memorandum re: 2016 Idaho Telecommunications Relay Service Annual Report; Case No. GNR-T-17-02.
Ms. Seaman reviewed her Decision Memo. She introduced the TRS Director, Mr. Dunbar. In the 2016 TRS Annual Report Mr. Dunbar reported the relay usage has continued to decline, as did the payments to the service provider Hamilton Telephone Company. The relay source of funding, wireless access lines and intrastate billed long distance minutes also declined. This trend is expected to continue in 2017, as reflected in the Administrator’s proposed budget for 2017.
To support this budget Mr. Dunbar recommends that the Commission maintain the assessment rates at the current level for local exchange lines at $.02 per access line per month and $.0002 per access line per long distance minute. The staff believes the Idaho citizens continue to be well served by the TRS Administrator and the relay services provided by Hamilton Telecommunications. Staff also agrees with the Administrator’s recommendation to maintain the TRS contribution at the current funding levels of $0.02 per access line per month and $0.0002 per intrastate long distance minute.
Ms. Seaman stated, the decisions before the commissioners today are; do you wish to accept the current 2016 report and the 2017 TSR budget; and do you wish to accept the Administrators recommendation to maintain current TRS assessment rates.
Commissioner Kjellander asked Mr. Dunbar if he wished to share information or trends we might expect during the next three to five years.
Mr. Dunbar stated that at some point the service for the deaf and hard of hearing service may not be continued, due to the future discontinued use of the rotary phone.
Commissioner Kjellander asked Mr. Dunbar about Real-Time texting and where that currently stands. Mr. Dunbar deferred the question to Ms. Seaman. She said, the FCC issued an order in December accepting AT&T’s petition to discontinue the TTY system and replace it with the Real-Time text. The FCC is seeking comments about when AT&T could relinquish the court of the TTY and replace it with RTT.
Commissioner Kjellander made a motion to accept the Administrators recommendation to maintain to the current TSR assessment and the 2017 annual report and adopt the 2017 Administrators budget.
There was no further business before the Commission and Commissioner Kjellander adjourned the meeting.

____________________________________ ______________________________ COMMISSION SECRETARY DATE OF APPROVAL